ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · cabinet · drill · file · fan · pound · current · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. drill — army training
  5. file — a tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. drill — a practice
  9. field — a subject
  10. current — of water
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — electric
  16. file — a document
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com